Hudson's WiiWare releases have been some of the more solid in the lineup, and Alien Crush Returns is no exception. A sequel to a TurboGrafx cult favorite, Alien Crush Returns is a retro remake done right.

For those of you not familiar with the original game, this is a loose pinball simulator that takes place in a H.R. Giger-inspired alien world. There is a story mode, but frankly the plot is pretty rubbish. However, it is a good way to check out the game's three tables (two of them are new) as well as a couple of boss battles. It's also the way you'll earn powerups for your ball, which include speed-up, reversal, and the coolest, instant multiball.

If you're not down for the longer story mode, you can always take on the standard arcade action, where you can pick from any of the game's tables and then try to beat your high score. If you're particularly proud of your accomplishment, you can upload your total to an online ranking table, which ends up giving this mode a lot of replay value as you try to make your way up the ladder.

Speaking of online, Alien Crush Returns also sports a competitive time attack mode where players try to become the first to reach ten million points. Like many online Wii titles, it can be hard to find players in open games. But once you get a session going, the online competition provides some pretty good times and puts a nice frosting on this tasty cake of video pinball.